Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was responsible for many of the design’s innovative concepts. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch were detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The SR-71 was designed with a reduced radar cross-section. The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. A total of 32 aircraft were built.

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About Srecko

Srecko Bradic was born in 1966 in Serbia. Since his childhood he has been deeply interested in all aspects of aviation. He has some flying experience on a Blanik glider, but his real passion is making aircraft models. During the last two decades he has been a regular contributor to magazines and books. His primary interests focus on the fields of historical research, modeling and art. In the recent years his main focus has been on digital aviation artwork. Based on his research and drawings Several scale models were released by prominent kit manufacturers and his works are used by many modelers as key references.